New Guy, Basic Questions on Full Time Cost

[openroad39]

Just wanted to see if anybody has any advice for living full time in a Fifth Wheel or TT? I am seriously considering it, but not sure about the repairs involved, electricity, costs, etc. I am willing to learn. What concerns me is that the costs for a few RV parks that I have checked where I live that are not a complete dump cost at least $400 a month (I currently pay $800 for my studio apt, not including electricity). When you consider that, and the cost of the Trailer itself plus future repairs, its really not that much cheaper than an apartment.

I have also looked into just laying a trailer down on land in the country, either renting space from somebody or buying land myself (boondocking?), but unsure about land-use regulations for that. Thank you.

I also plan on buying a nice truck in the next year, possibly a Silverado or Tundra, something that is great for towing and also allows me to do some landscaping.

[Middle_Fork_Min]

Dog Folks wrote:
I can agree with most of your post except:"You control the purse strings, but in general, an apples to apples comparison = no savings in an RV."

With the same basic standard of lining I have experienced a change of 1/2 the cost of living full time in a camper compared with a house.

I lived in a 12X40 mobile for a few years before I moved back in to the house. The park I was in had quite a few RV's...both motor homes & travel trailers...if you own your rig & aren't making payments on it, it's quite a bit cheaper living in a park than it is in either an apt. or house. My current mortgage payment is only $735 a mo. but when you pile on the garbage, sewer, water & taxes, it's well over $900...
My monthly bill at the park hovered around the $400 mark with the gas & electricity being metered. The park provided water, sewage & garbage.
Granted, you don't have the square footage to accumulate a lot of junk, but I'm tired of excess "stuff" anyway & how much space can a person occupy at any given time??? One of my best friends has been full time for over the 14 years I've known him & his wife & I seriously don't think you could "GIVE" him a house. They currently have a motor home but are gonna be switching back to a travel trailer in the near future. They generally spend about half their time up in the Sierras completely rent free. At times they do the work camper thing when they're low on cash. They are two of the happiest people I know.

[C-Bears]

It has been summed up very well by others, you can make full timing as cheap or as expensive as you want. There are small used units and you can boondock much of the time, or you can spend $800,000 on a huge diesel MH and stay in $3,000 a month resorts all year while dining out every night.

I guess that is why it appealed to us, almost anyone can do it.

We are saving a ton of money and seeing all of the country at the same time. Our lifestyle really hasn't changed that much. At first we fell into sort of a vacation mode but soon settled in to a regular schedule of sorts.

Anyone who retires and wants to travel should really consider the "full time RV" route. No matter if your income is $15,000 a year or a million a year, you can do it.

[allen8106]

openroad39 wrote:
Just wanted to see if anybody has any advice for living full time in a Fifth Wheel or TT? I am seriously considering it, but not sure about the repairs involved, electricity, costs, etc. I am willing to learn. What concerns me is that the costs for a few RV parks that I have checked where I live that are not a complete dump cost at least $400 a month (I currently pay $800 for my studio apt, not including electricity). When you consider that, and the cost of the Trailer itself plus future repairs, its really not that much cheaper than an apartment.

I have also looked into just laying a trailer down on land in the country, either renting space from somebody or buying land myself (boondocking?), but unsure about land-use regulations for that. Thank you.

I also plan on buying a nice truck in the next year, possibly a Silverado or Tundra, something that is great for towing and also allows me to do some landscaping.

Contrary to what some folks have posted here it can be done rather cheaply. RV Sue does it on about $12,000 a year. I believe that figure includes everything including insurance but I could be wrong about that. Now to qualify that she has a steady income from social security and her RV Sue blog/Amazon. She does a lot of boondocking, she has a solar setup that works well for her. She has a small 17' camper and a 2005 Chevy van to pull it with. The camper is pretty simple and neither vehicle require much in the way of maintenance. Most of all she doesn't have to work so she can camp anywhere she wants. She usually moves with the weather so heating expenses are minimal.

Under the right circumstance it can be done.

[RodSams]

Read "The Tiniest Mansion " by Tynan.
He tells you how he lives very inexpensively in an RV.
The RV pictured in the book is the one I now own. I purchased it from Tynan.
He has a very interesting travel blog, too.

[sushidog]

Yeah, but I have 2 questions:

1. What kind of gas mileage does your house or apartment get?
2. How big is your back yard?

For the FT RVer their back yard is measured in square miles, not sq. ft. - and they don't have to mow a single blade of grass!

Not only did my S&B house not appreciate, but I lost it not long after they raised my property taxes 1,000% (without a millage increase, just a pie-in-the-sky reassessment.) In an S&B you always have a target on your back. They can raise your taxes, insurance, etc. at any time. Not happy with your taxes and insurance rates when full-timing? Just declare domicile in a more tax friendly, lower insurance cost state (you don't even have to move or change your lifestyle in any way. Not happy with your noisy, unfriendly neighbors? Simply move on down the road - almost as easy as talking about it.

The homeowner's insurance and property tax on my old S&B alone will exceed my monthly CG fees - if I choose to stay in RV parks every single night. Plus I had an additional cable bill, phone bill, garbage bill, sewer bill, water bill, electric bill (that was about 3 times what it will be when FTing), gas bill, yard and house maintenance expenses and repairs, ad nauseum. In many inexpensive RV parks they include many things I was paying for or could not afford - free of charge, like: a pool, whirlpool, sauna, recreational facilities, lending library for books and movies, free WiFi, cable, water, trash, sewer, fishing dock access (I love to catch and eat fish), etc. Need to replace your S&B roof, ac unit, paint your house, repair your plumbing etc. it will be many times the cost of the exact same repairs in an RV.

Your FT RV can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. I already bought a nice 2008 diesel truck to use as a TV for $11k. I've budgeted about $15k for a good, slightly used TT for a total cost of around $16k. Some spend more, some less - it's up to you. The cheaper and lighter your rig, the cheaper your taxes, registration, insurance and fuel bill will be. Plus you get to visit more remote places and truly live "where the weather fits your clothes," not endure sweltering heat, freezing cold or evacuate your home when a hurricane or fire draws dangerously near as millions are forced to do time and time again. How much is that convenience worth - not to mention the peace of mind knowing that you will have your home and possessions when the disaster passes safely by? Having survived several major disasters, including hurricane Katrina, (not without great loss) plenty in my book.

I too plan on living in my RV till I die, so depreciation is not an issue. I plan on boondocking with solar, living off the grid maybe 1/2 the time, enjoying the money I save and more importantly, living in the wild, (desert, mountains or shore) communing with nature in a way those trapped in a S&B mortgage or apartment lease can only dream about. And if I get tired of the view, the weather, my neighbors, etc. I'll simply and inexpensively change them at my whim and pleasure. Who can do that (and do it as often as they like) other than full-time RVers?

Chip

[Dog_Folks]

Using that formula Price/square feet:

House: $218.75 per square foot. ($350,000/1600)

Camper: $95.83 Per square foot. ($23,000/240)

[AprilWhine]

OK here's a small fifth wheel for sale on Ebay: 1986 Komfort. Seller says OBO, so you could probably get it for less than the $1600 asking price.

I know of RV parks charging as little as $250/month with electric, cable and wifi included.

One of the parks is within walking distance of a McDonald's, so if you figure in eating off the dollar menu, your food could be less than $10/day without even cooking!

So you could conceivably live on less than $600 per month.

You do know I'm just soaking with you, right? :B

[MTPockets1]

Dog Folks wrote:
Interesting concept on cost per square foot.

My house came out at $2.50 each square foot.

It is $8.33 per foot in the RV.

Obviously using that comparison living in the RV is much more.

. Price of house divided by square ft of house. Example: $200,000 house divided by 2,000 sq ft = $100 per sq ft..... $50,000 trailer divided by 350 sq ft = about $142 sq ft. ...... Numbers will vary; plug in your numbers and go from there.

[Dog_Folks]

Interesting concept on cost per square foot.

My house came out at $2.50 each square foot.

It is $8.33 per foot in the RV.

Obviously using that comparison living in the RV is much more.

[MTPockets1]

Dog Folks wrote:
I can agree with most of your post except:"You control the purse strings, but in general, an apples to apples comparison = no savings in an RV."

With the same basic standard of lining I have experienced a change of 1/2 the cost of living full time in a camper compared with a house.

They are completely two different lifestyles and as you pointed out "RV parks like neighborhoods/house costs vary widely." I don't know how we could compare the two apples to apples. Each style has it's own unique situations.

. I suppose there can always be details that vary, but my intention regarding apples to apples had to do more with cost per sq ft... Since op was asking about cost. Adding a house cost per sq ft, maintenance upkeep, utilities, yard maintenance , etc., I think living cost is similar. Final cost to exit the lifestyle will be more because in general, big difference in depreciation.

[2oldman]

arhayes wrote:
Don't get into Full Timing to save money because you will not. FTing is about enjoying the lifestyle and the ability to change locales when YOU decide, but you ARE going to pay for it!

I don't think this OP is talking about the 'fulltime lifestyle' as we know it.

[Dog_Folks]

I can agree with most of your post except:"You control the purse strings, but in general, an apples to apples comparison = no savings in an RV."

With the same basic standard of lining I have experienced a change of 1/2 the cost of living full time in a camper compared with a house.

They are completely two different lifestyles and as you pointed out "RV parks like neighborhoods/house costs vary widely." I don't know how we could compare the two apples to apples. Each style has it's own unique situations.

[MTPockets1]

RV parks like neighborhoods/house costs vary widely. You can find RV parks $300/mo or less and RV parks $800 and up. Full time life in an RV can be low cost if you do a lot of boondocking and don't move too far. (Fuel costs). You control the purse strings, but in general, an apples to apples comparison = no savings in an RV.

[Dog_Folks]

openroad39: It has been our experience, in visiting 32 states, that a RV park includes electricity in daily and weekly stays.

Monthly stays are almost always metered.

This is general of course there will be exceptions.